CityNews – Chiang Mai Vice Governor, Chana Paengpibun, has announced a new ‘Campus Safety Zone’ around Chiang Mai University, ordering all pubs, bars, restaurants, stores, apartments and any other venues selling alcohol within a 1km radius of the campus grounds to sign an MOU to cooperate with the reorganisation of alcohol and cigarette control in the area.
Image: Online News Chiang Mai
(the red line denotes a 1km radius of the CMU campus highlighted green grey)
It is yet unclear what the reorganisation will entail specifically. The 1km radius of CMU covers all of Suthep road up until the suandok park, the canal road, huaykaew road up to the Shell gas station and the entirety of Nimmanhaemin Road, Maya Shopping Centre, Sirimankaljan Road and their surrounding sois.
According to one survey, there are over 1000 venues that can sell alcohol within the 1km radius.
On August 13 Puttipong Sirimart, the deputy head of the board of the Campus Safety Zone, signed a document regarding new forms of penalties for any venues breaking any of the following rules:
1. Allowing underage people into the venue.
2. Selling alcohol to those underage.
3. Closing after hours.
4. Allowing guns, weapons, bombs and drugs in their venue.
5. Selling alcohol outside of the government designated hours of 11am – 2pm and 5pm – 12am.
If any venue is found breaking any laws, the venue will have its alcohol permit revoked and the venue will have to close down for five years.
Puttipong also added that bars that make too much noise will also be closed down for five years.
On October 6, Police Colonel Mongkol Sampawapon lead an investigation team of police to check pubs and bars in the 1km Campus Safety Zone. They found one venue selling alcohol without a licence, 7 venues selling alcohol to underage persons, two failed to provide a smoking area, and one bar to be playing music too loud.
As a result of the police investigation, 19 venues were closed down, had their alcohol permits revoked and ordered to close down for five years.